James FitzGerald on Rewilding, Climate Adaptation, and New England

In this episode I speak with James Fitzgerald, Research & Policy Manager at BCarbon, a carbon credit registry focused on nature-based solutions. We discuss:• How the papaw tree and other evolutionary anachronisms reveal ancient relationships between extinct megafauna and modern plants.• The evolving concept of "invasive species" in our increasingly globalized and interconnected world.• The geological contrast between Long Island's climate vulnerability and New England's bedrock resilience.• The century-long transformation of New England from farmland to forest, enabling the return of native megafauna.• How Victorian "pteridomania" devastated native fern populations in Scotland and Wales, illustrating conservation challenges.• The remarkable adaptation of black bears to human-dominated landscapes in New York City's suburbs.• The complex interplay between human activity and natural systems in shaping modern ecosystems. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit discernearth.substack.com